When we baptize a child, one of the things we do is ask the congregation to take a vow together with

the parents of the child. “Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting these

parents in the Christian nurture of this child? If so, then signify by saying amen.” #ere is a very real

sense in which we are all in this together. While each of us should make sure we are carrying our

own load (Gal. 6:5), at the same time we should also be careful to carry one another’s burdens (Gal.

6:2), thus ful"lling the law of Christ. One of the things we should conclude from this is that there is

a strong social component to child rearing.